Abstract
The temperature distribution and history in elastomeric structures are important for several reasons. Temperature directly affects the current viscoelastic properties, which can impact performance, and it impacts the fracture properties related to fatigue life. Higher temperatures can also accelerate chemical reactions, leading to aging of the material, and aging can cause subsequent degradation of mechanical properties.
Coupled workflows for steady-state temperature and stress-strain fields in elastomeric structures are well established. However, many elastomeric structures exhibit transient response due to time-varying loading, or other factors. Some elastomeric structures are designed to operate in a transient environment, so the steady-state analysis is neither accurate nor useful. This work presents some recent developments for transient thermomechanical analysis, including viscoelastic self-heating and a new exothermic reaction capability to simulate chemical breakdown due to high operating temperatures. A developing workflow is presented to simulate the diffusion of air through an elastomeric structure, together with the reaction of oxygen, to understand the impact of oxidative aging.
Co-simulation with ABAQUS and Endurica is used to accomplish these coupled analyses. A new Endurica product, Endurica MP, is introduced to provide the “Multi-Physics” capabilities required for these advanced workflows. Demonstration of the workflows is provided through the analysis of tires and other elastomeric structures.
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Speaker
Dr. William Mars is an international leader in the failure mechanics of rubber. He is the founder and president of Endurica LLC, and a Founding Partner of Endurica Europe SARL. He is the author of the Endurica fatigue life solver, the world’s best-validated fatigue life simulation system for elastomers and the firm’s products and services are used by leading firms around the world to manage durability.
Will's career focuses on applying experimental and computational mechanics in pursuit of better-performing rubber products and he has three decades of experience developing testing and simulation methods in the rubber industry. Dr. Mars earned his Honors BSME with Polymer Specialization at the University of Akron, and his MS and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Toledo. He has received several awards for his scientific contributions and innovations including the 2022 Herzlich Medal for outstanding impact and innovation in the tire industry, the 2020 Tibbett’s Award from the Small Business Administration of the United States for excellence in creating cutting-edge technologies, the 2017 Rubber Division ACS Arnold Smith Special Service Award, the 2007 Sparks Thomas award of ACS Rubber Division, and the 1999 Henry Fuchs award of the SAE Fatigue Design & Evaluation committee. Dr. Mars served as the chief editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology for 10 years and is a former editor of Tire Science and Technology as well. He has over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications and four patents in the area of elastomer durability.
William Mars
Founding Partner of Endurica
Endurica was also a Gold Sponsor of the EuroMed SIMULIA Conference 2025
